Professor Anthony Chalmers

Research interests

Glioblastoma is the commonest and most aggressive primary brain tumour and is often refractory to conventional cancer treatments. The ultimate aim of our research group is to improve outcomes for patients with these tumours by overcoming their inherent resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Much of our work has focused on the DNA repair protein poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, commonly known as PARP. Drugs that inhibit PARP increase the sensitivity of tumour cells to radiotherapy and to chemotherapy agents such as temozolomide. We are currently developing a series of clinical trials to test whether PARP inhibitors can be safely and effectively combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with glioblastoma.

Current and future work will also investigate the effect of the tumour microenvironment on radiation responses of glioblastoma cells. In order to do this we are developing a novel in vitro cell culture system that recapitulates some of the key features of the glioblastoma microenvironment.

A 3D in vitro glioblastoma cell culture system for the identification and evaluation of novel radiosensitisers reducing rodent xenografts studies
National Centre for the Replacement of Animals Research
2017 - 2020

Modulating the p53/mdm2 axis to enhance outcomes of radiotherapy for head & neck cancer: tumour and normal tissue studies in vitro and in vivo
British Association of Head & Neck Oncologists
2016 - 2017

Development Award: Measurement of Small Molecule Pharmacokinetics in invasive Regions of Glioblastoma
Cancer Research UK
2014 - 2016

Radiosensitisation of Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) by development of a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) delivery system for siRNA silencing of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (Atm)
Cancer Research UK
2014 - 2016